Method for reducing a data repository

A method for reducing a data repository with a plurality of sequentially ordered records, wherein each record is characterized by an identifier and comprises one or more data attributes and/or one or more links, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) choosing a first record as a base record;
• b) verifying whether the identifier of a sequentially next record can be generated from the base record by applying an identifier generating function;
• c) verifying whether the data attributes and/or links of the sequentially next record are identical with the data attributes and/or links of the base record or can be generated from the base record by applying an attribute generating function and/or link generating function;
• d) if the conditions b) and c) are satisfied, incrementing a counter in the base record and deleting the sequentially next record;
• and
• e) repeating the steps b), c) and d) for the subsequent records without resetting the counter until the conditions b) and c) are not satisfied for any record so that, upon completion of steps b), c) and d) for such records, the counter indicates the number of additional records that can be generated from the base record by applying one or more generating functions.